Distinguished
by nyteangelofdarkness
Summary: Killian finds a grey hair.


"Is there something wrong with Dad?"

Now that was not a question Emma liked to begin her days with. She looked up from the stove to her bed-headed eldest son who stood in the doorway to the kitchen. At twenty-two Henry had grown like a weed, out growing her a few years before and nearly inching over Neal at last check. Her eldest son had returned a few days before from University for the holidays, spending time between the Jones, Mills and Cassidy households. A busy holiday schedule to keep for sure between three sets of parents –herself and Killian, Regina and 'Uncle' Robin and Neal with 'Auntie' Tink- and several new half or adopted siblings but the young man who once united the good and bad of the Enchanted Forest to defeat evil took everything in stride.

"No why?" she asked, returning her thoughts to breakfast.

He shrugged himself off the door-jamb and moved to stand next to her, making himself coffee. He yawned loudly and ruffled his growing too long hair before answering.

"He kicked me out of the bathroom while muttering to himself."

"Really?"

He nodded and quietly relished in the warm caffeine boost. Emma smiled and lightly pushed on his shoulder.

"Mooooooom!"

Emma spun around to see three of her other children standing in the doorway. Zarek, the elder of the three at seven, stood with arms crossed and a sour look on his face, bright blue eyes staring her down and black/brown hair just as messy as his older brother's. Five year old Mia, the one and only little girl, Killian's little princess stood behind her brother holding onto his pajama shirt with her dark blond hair twirling around her finger as she nervously played with it and her twin brother Liam rubbed at his eyes and mindlessly shuffled over to her only to have Henry reach down and scoop him up.

"What's wrong, kid?" she asked Zarek, who seemed to be the only verbal child at the moment.

"Dad said to ask you to help Liam and Mia and that he is busy." Zarek huffed again and looked at her with an exasperated glare. "I need the bathroom and Dad is in it and the one down here is still broken and that's the only one and…and…and Dad won't get out."

"That's it. Henry watch the food," Emma called and stormed down the hallway and up the stairs to the main bathroom. The door was indeed locked and she jiggled to handle.

"Go bug your mother, children," his voice came through the door.

"They did and now mother is here to bug you now so open this god damn door Killian before I break it open."

He remained silent on the other side for a moment, not moving to unlocked it. She jiggled the handle again in warning.

"You love me right, Emma?"

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Yes Killian I love you now open the damn door."

"And you meant what you said in our vows?"

That had her stop for a moment. Emma leaned her head against the door and listened closely for her husband of eight years. What in the hell had happened last night to cause this? Nothing out of the ordinary that's for sure. He had seemed fine when he came in from the bar with her father last night.

"Yes Killian I meant every word," she replied in a soft tone. "I love you." What had gotten into her pirate?

It was only with that conformation that she finally heard the soft click of the lock. Quickly swinging the door open before he had a chance to change his mind she slipped in and closed it behind her. There stood her husband, not a speck out of place. He looked perfect after all these years, his prime physique still showing under the tight black shirt and sweats he wore to bed. Normally bright blue eyes looked at her with a worry that she rarely had seen in them.

"Killian what's wrong?" she asked. Stepping closer she grabbed at his hooked arm and guided it around her waist. He followed her lead and held her tight.

"What's wrong?" she asked again.

He sighed and pulled away, holding something out in his hand.

"This."

She looked in his hand and found nothing. She raised a brow at him which he replied with a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know what I'm looking at Killian, you'll have to help me."

"It's a hair Emma!"

She shook her head but sure enough in his palm was a small hair, a small grey hair.

"And?"

"And?_ And_?! It's grey Emma. As in not brown. And it came from my head."

It took her a moment to let the situation settle in and when it did she nearly doubled over in laughter.

"It's not funny!" he insisted, crossing his arms.

"No, it's not. It's hilarious," she sputtered out.

Her laughter died as he grabbed her with hook and hand and guided her to the door. Stopping before he could push her out Emma composed herself and moved to hold him again instead. She wound her arms around his chest and laid her head on his shoulder, stopping his movements. Tight and tense muscles soon relaxed under her and he gave in, wrapping his own arms around her and sighing against her.

"I have grey hairs, love," he softly said, almost as a confession.

"Don't worry, I'm not trading you in for a new model because you're defective. I knew I had a repo model when I signed the paperwork."

He chuckled lightly at that and ran his hand through her loose hair. Silence spread between them as he held her. She squeezed him tighter and smoothly ran her hand over his back in an attempt to comfort her worried husband.

"I'm old."

She paused her movement but quickly returned to her soothing movements. Technically he was only a year or so older than her own thirty-nine years, his body withheld from aging for those three hundred years.

"We already knew that, Killian."

"No love, I meant it. I'm getting old."

Emma bit her lip and attempted to digest it. He was right. Since the spell broke nearly 10 years ago they had all resumed their normal aging but unlike the rest of the Storybrooke residence who still lacked the knowledge that all the years had passed, Killian knew and remembered and felt his age. She had always been able to see it in his eyes but now, she knew he was feeling it just as much outwardly as internally.

"We all are," she reassured him. And it was true. Life had gone on quite peacefully after the curse which meant that she and David as well as newly appointed deputy Jones kept the peace but work had a physical toll on the body and chasing after the three beautiful children they had as well as her much younger siblings tended to wear all the adults down. "It happens when you grow up, Killian."

"Aye lass but I never thought_ I_ would."

She pulled back and looked into his worried blue eyes. Killian pulled away again and moved to sit on the closed toilet. He rested his head on his hand for a moment before speaking, refusing to look directly at her.

"I had been ageless for so long I forgot what it was like. I had never truly thought about what would happen after, after my hunt would be over or after I left Neverland. It was never an issue. But now…" he trailed off and looked up at her. Emma took the step towards him and ran a hand through his brown- mostly brown- hair.

"Now I have grey hairs. Now I actually have aches and pains from basic yard work not stab wounds from duels, I get headaches when I read my charts and books and when I lifted Mia up yesterday I swear she threw out my back. I can't even lift my own daughter up now. I had centuries of abuse on my body that I never thought would catch up with me. I had a hard life of drinking and fighting and pushing myself to my limits but I could handle it then, I could push through it but it seems like it's all catching up with me. You want to know what your father and I talked about last night at the bar? We bitched about knee pain for god's sake, Emma. And I'm not lying. " He paused and looked up at her. Emma brushed his cheek with her thumb and held his face to look at her. Without a word she leaned down and brushed a kiss lightly on his forehead.

"Would it make you feel better to know I have a few too?"

Killian choked out a laugh and leaned into her. His Swan always knew what to say, didn't she?

"A bit," he said. "Not that I've ever seen them."

Emma pulled on his arms and helped him up, wincing slightly as he moved stiffly. He had a point didn't he? While everyone here under the spell had lived normal lives they had left the physical demands of the Forest behind for the luxury of modern technology and the easier life that came with it but Killian, as Hook he would have been pushed much further than anyone else. Hell she remembered the short time on Neverland years before and the weeks it took for herself and her parents to work out the kinks and recharge after camping out. That had been weeks, not centuries.

"It's called hair dye, Killian. I've been using it for years."

"So you've been lying to me all this time?" Killian raised a brow and looked down at her, that effortless smirk appearing once again on his face. Emma laughed and traced the slightly deeper lines that cross his face as his smile widened. She leaned forward and kissed him soundly.

"Just keeping up appearances. Besides," she ruffled his hair once again and pulled a second offending grey out from his thick head of mostly brown hair. "I've always thought a bit of grey made a man quite distinguished and you my dear pirate still turn many a lass's head."

"I only care about one lass's opinion."

"And don't let that ever change Killian. I love you no matter what, "she said softly, honestly. "No matter how many times you bitch about pain or your eyes or anything else I will always love you, each and every inch."

"And I you, lass," he whispered. "Despite you deceiving me."

A knock on the door startled the pair and it cracked open. A white paper towel taped to a ruler poked out and waved around before Henry poked his head in.

"I come in peace?"

Killian laughed and opened the door. He grabbed his step-son and walked the younger man back down the hall, effortlessly stepping into everyday conversation. The weight of his long life lifted whenever he was surrounded by his children and as Killian reached the kitchen where his three young children bombarded him with their morning questions he knew that no matter what ache or pain or grey hair or wrinkle that he would never trade the immortality he had for this life.

* * *

Killian actually getting old...a topic I thought of at 4:30 this morning while waiting in the Emerg for news on my grandfather's condition after a scare and a very early morning 911 call. Sleep deprivation and mass overload of reading CaptainSwan does strange things to a girl...


End file.
